Presidential spokesman Harry Roque denied accusations on Tuesday, March 9, that the investigation into the recent Calabarzon killings is only for publicity.
This follows Malacañang's earlier statement there will be an investigation into the killings because the victims were unarmed.
In his virtual presser, the Palace official stressed that the investigators are under oath to protect the Constitution that protects the right to live.
“So, huwag po kayong mag-alala dahil mayroon po tayong sinumpaang katungkulan. Wala pong PR (press release) na investigation lamang (So, don’t worry because we have a sworn duty. There is no investigation for PR only),” he said.
On Sunday, separate police raids south of Manila in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon Province (Calabarzon) killed nine community leaders, who the government suspects of being communist rebels. The raid also arrested six activists.
Roque said President Duterte, who last week told the police to gun down rebels, has not commented on the Calabarzon killings because these are being investigated by the proper authorities.
Prodded if there was a misinterpretation of the President’s directive about killing the rebels and not minding human rights, Roque denied such claims.
“There is no misinterpretation because when I was still in UP (University of the Philippines), almost every day we get lectures about police and International Humanitarian Law which says that only the rebels should be targeted when there is an encounter between the police and NPA,” he said in Filipino.
NPA refers to New People’s Army, the armed rebel group of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Roque explained that if there was no encounter between the police and armed personalities, the police should have followed the Revised Penal Code and human rights law that require “necessity” and “proportionality” to open fire on anyone.
But he also came to the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) defense who said that there were threats to those serving the search warrant.
“Pero malalaman po natin ang katotohanan matapos po ang imbestigasyon (But we will know the truth after the investigation),” Roque said.
Last week, Duterte ordered ordered the police “kill, kill them (communists)” and “don’t mind human rights” if there was an encounter.